sometimes the only decent deals are if you buy it all at once, thats what i did. other people seems to separate it and mark it way up
i like blue ones. they are the same quality as the green and red. but on used ones you can find way better deals. i never liked the orange they are made cheaper and around here they go for the same as a new deere or case. used they are the same as a deere too. the blue ones are way better to use and maintain.
they got even better deals on the ls tractors, this is the same tractor as my nh, they are made by the same company. basically new 2030, hydro, woods blower, loader for 15. that would be 25 in any of the other colors around here
(broken link removed to https://rochester.craigslist.org/grd/d/ls-j2030h-tractor-loader-cab/6390377841.html)
My Dad has (mostly) blue tractors. Most of them are vintage (i.e. pre-1990) however he buys a new 75hp loader tractor every 4-5 years.
I was close to a deal for a 25hp orange tractor from a guy I know with a belly mower, backhoe, box blade and snow blower, 2 x sets of tires and low hours. He's the type of guy that takes his stuff to the dealer to be greased and trades everything in every few years. He thought a number I offered was fair, but then found out how much he would save on tax for a trade in, which made the dealers offer better. Oh well...
I'm a big fan of orange tractors. Most of that is derived from my younger days working with them in the construction/landscape industry and from my experience with my 30 y/o machine. I also have a good relationship (as in they are friends outside of business) with a local dealer. They've somehow managed to carve a bias in my brain for them, and I think it was earned. There's a reason why you see so many of their machines on jobsites nowadays. I've been comfortable enough to buy a couple of Korean cars over the years, and would be the same for tractors, but I feel the Japanese still hold an edge over them. I'm all about value, and truthfully I don't see huge margins in price between any of the colours of tractors when compared apple to apples. Masseys, Mahindras, and the odd Kioti seem to be a little less pricey used, but not much. Definitely cheaper new. A guy down the road has a small dealership that sells Landinini, Montana and LS tractors. He doesn't usually have any of those used on hand though. and I don't see much else than orange and green for sale used (privately), so there doesn't seem to be a lot to compare to. I want to avoid a dealer, simply because that invokes an automatic 15% increase in price because of sales tax.
That LS in your link seems like a decent deal. I used to shop for tractors in upstate NY, but the currency exchange makes that prohibitive these days.
Mind you, if I lean more towards a CUT vice an industrial/commercial small TLB, I'm open to whatever is a good deal. May make an offer on my wife's uncle's 25hp JD. It impressed the hell out of me the day it ran a 6" chipper without making a squeak. He needs something bigger to pull a big (as in 12') mower for his new property.
I'm torn... I don't exactly need a hoe, but I know once I get one, it will be priceless. I would hate to regret not getting one and I figure I might as well bite the bullet go for it. It makes a big difference financially though and if I'm going for a TLB, I figure an industrial model is the best bet, and they are hard to find not abused, come with a price tag, and aren't quite as versatile as CUTs (i.e. no mid PTO or quick attach loader, etc). It's a slippery slope and represents a good sized investment for me when really... it amounts to a toy. Most of what I will be using it for won't add *much* value to the property and is essentially non-essential.
